The vision of the Venture Café Foundation is that anyone who has an idea is empowered to become a successful entrepreneur.
The mission of the Venture Café Foundation consists of three pillars:
Building and connecting communities of innovation locally, nationally, and internationally
Expanding the definition of innovation and entrepreneurship
Building a more inclusive innovation economy. We want to make sure that questions about inequality and inclusion are part of the innovation and entrepreneurship conversation –not an afterthought
The Venture Café Foundation accomplishes its mission and vision through:
Spaces for individuals and organizations to gather, tell stories, and build relationships, such as Venture Café at CIC in Cambridge, District Hall and the Roxbury Innovation Center
Programs that create connections, such as Captains of Innovation and the [[http://vencaf.org/ivb/|Innovation Visitors
]]Bureau
Conversations and events that expand an integrative understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship, such as the Innovation and the City conferenceThe Roxbury Innovation Center is a civic experiment that will support local economic development by encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. The Venture Café Foundation will run the Roxbury Innovation Center as a mission-driven not-for-profit gathering and event space.
The space is positioned as a platform: a local space that will be available for many groups to provide programs that support innovators, entrepreneurs and business founders. The flagship programming partner is SkyLab, with their “Educate – Activate – Incubate” approach. Venture Café will also produce programming to activate the space and connect the innovation economy.
As a Venture Café Program Associate at Roxbury Innovation Center, you will perform a variety of regular operations and marketing tasks needed for the smooth functioning of the RIC’s community of innovators.
Examples of these tasks include:
Client communication for general inquiries and scheduling events and programs
Maintenance and development of digital media outlets: website calendar, newsletters, Twitter, Facebook
Assistance on coordinating event space improvement projects
Tours for delegations and prospective event clients
Straightening and freshening up conference rooms and meeting areas throughout the day
Specialized projects on an as-needed basis
You will also be called upon to assist with other activities related to the Venture Café’s programming and growth, including but not limited to grant and sponsorship-related activities, research and coordination related to new or existing programming, event planning, outreach and positioning and/or reporting and data analysis.
Background and Experience
You have been involved in innovation and/or entrepreneurship initiatives.
You have experience managing a steady of communications transactions via email, phone and in person so that they successfully complete a execution process
You have the adaptability to handle a variety of tasks that often occur in an early stage venture that is growing / scaling quickly
You like to learn new things about life, society and business
You are interested in continually experimenting with new events and processes to leverage what works well and then adapt what did not work as well
You either have or want to learn about a broad and interdisciplinary understanding of the innovation process, including its business and social components
You are familiar with the Boston innovation community & its key players
You have an understanding of Boston as a city and its neighborhoods
You understand urban challenges (i.e. income inequality and unequal access to opportunity) and embrace them as opportunities for change using innovation focused economic development
You are curious and perhaps familiar with the evolution of business, industry and technology
Desirable Qualifications
At least a bachelor’s degree. The field doesn’t matter.
Experience with event envisioning, planning, and implementation.
Great hospitality skills – able to keep customers engaged and happy even while resolving problems
Outstanding written and oral communication skills. Real, natural comfort with public speaking, in formal and informal settings, is key.
Ability to communicate and collaborate across business, academia, government, and civil society.
An appreciation for the role of design and aesthetics in creating better communication tools, spaces, products, and services.
Attention to detail, understanding that form is as important as function.
Ability to work effectively in complex stakeholder environments.
Excellent organizational, project and task management skills.
Familiarity with social media channels. An ability to leverage them as part of your work is desirable.
A diplomatic and consensus-oriented approach to decision-making.
Global outlook with local roots and commitment.
Clear views and positions without being dogmatic. Not a “yes-person”.
Good listener. You know when it is pertinent to speak and when it is better to be quiet.
Benefits and compensation commensurate with experience.
How to apply
Send an email message to hiring@vencaf.org